


things we said

by Anonymous



Series: mythical-soul's fics [1]
Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Anxious!Link, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-12
Updated: 2015-03-12
Packaged: 2018-03-17 11:13:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3527171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rhett and Link said a lot of things to each other yet, there were still many things left unsaid.</p><p> </p><p>  <i>(Or a fic in which Rhett and Link are stupid and in love.)</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	things we said

**Author's Note:**

> so, I saw this [post](http://astrugglingwriter.tumblr.com/post/113183476677/send-me-a-ship-and-one-of-these-and-ill-write-a) going around and well, it got out of control. I got into this fandom not so long ago but I fell hard and I love this two way too much. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did writing it! 
> 
> Also, they never married and they don’t have kids, that’s pretty much it.

Things you said.

 **Things you said while we were driving**.

They had been silent for a few miles, Rhett driving and Link just looking outside the window. It was afternoon and they had already crossed a state lane, danced on it and continued. Their mythical meeting had been amazing but it somehow drained Link’s energy.

“We’re going to California.” Link started and Rhett just raised his eyebrow, listening to the other man. “It’s like, the American Dream,” and he laughed at his own comment. Rhett noticed at the corner of his eye that Link turned to look at him. “You know what?”

Rhett glanced quickly at his best friend, shooting him an amused look.

“I’m glad I’m doing this with you,” Link muttered. “I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t do it alone, it’s so scary but I’m very glad I have you. Thank you for being at my side.”

Rhett’s hand wandered to Link’s knee and squeezed it softly. “I’ll always be right beside you, buddy.”

 

 

**Things you said at 1 am.**

“We’re very lucky, you know that?”

Rhett hummed when he heard his best friend before opening his eyes and looking at him. Both of them were in some hotel in Orlando for Playlist Live and it’s been a while since they had settle in their own beds. It was very late and Rhett was already falling asleep but Link’s voice brought him back to reality.

Rhett prompts himself with his elbow and frowned at Link, who was looking at his phone. “Well, that was random.” He noticed that Link had that expression on his face that basically said _I’m over thinking everything_. “Why does that come up?”

“I mean,” Link put his phone away and looked at the ceiling, letting the room fall into the darkness. “Our community is amazing and we had all this amazing chances to do all this things and sometimes, even when it already happened, I can’t believe it, you know? It just got me thinking.”

“Are you okay?” Rhett didn’t ask because he wanted to change the subject of the conversation but because he was worried about Link. He got up and walked to empty side of Link’s bed. “Can I?”

The younger nodded and Rhett moved inside the sheets before facing Link.

“We’re very lucky.” Rhett caressed Link’s hair comfortingly. “Now, go to sleep, Link.”

 

 

 **Things you said too quietly**.

Link and Rhett had been dinning with old friends in some restaurant out in the coast.

They had been talking loudly (they were quite a large group) but they didn’t care. Both hosts sat down next to each other, enjoying the company and chuckling over silly stories from the people around them. Rhett had been sipping over his white wine when Link started laughing at something that Joe Bereta had been telling.

Link, well, he was just gorgeous.

“I love when you smile like that,” Rhett muttered under his breath and Link turned to look at him, wide smile on his face. He asked if he had said something and Rhett shook his head. “No, I didn’t.”

Maybe he did but Rhett guessed it was better that way.

 

 

 **Things you said through your teeth**.

Link was sure that all the crew had been hearing their discussion even when their office door was closed and they were a few feet away from it. He sat down on the couch and took a deep breath before looking at Rhett, towering in front of him, his arm crossed.

Link took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes, feeling Rhett’s staring at him. Both of them were in silence and at that point, Link started feeling tired and all his anger had drifted away.

“I’m sorry,” Link started, not looking at his best friend. “We’ll do your way, I don’t care.”

“You do care, I know you.” Rhett started, “and don’t say that because you want us to stop discussing.”

“I’m not saying- I really don’t care anymore, okay?” Link groaned and hid his face on his hands, starting to feel nauseous. Rhett seemed to pick up the change on him and sighed.

“I care about you too much,” he mumbled to himself, through his teeth. Link looked over at him, confusion written on his face, as if he was asking what he said. “I’m sorry too, are you okay?” Rhett asked, while sitting beside him, moving the trashcan between Link’s legs and a Rhett’s hand moved soothingly over the younger’s back.

“Yeah, just, let’s not discuss like this anymore,” Link said, looking at him with a small smile and Rhett nodded. “Okay?” Rhett smiled back and caressed the man’s hair.

“Okay.”

 

**Things you said after you kissed me.**

They weren’t sure how they got to that point in which Link was sitting on a desk, his back against the wall, Rhett’s hands all over him, and Link’s legs around the other man’s waist. Well, and they were kissing. They weren’t sure how they got to that point but Link couldn’t complain because it was everything he had wished for. Rhett kissed better than he thought.

“I like you,” Rhett muttered, their foreheads pressed with each other’s and their breathing was irregular. “I really like you, like, you have no idea how much I’ve been wanting this.” Link’s arms wrapped around Rhett’s neck and his fingers tangled on the blond’s hair.

“I kinda have an idea, actually.”

“You do?” Rhett asked, smile appearing on his face. Link’s hands wandered over the man’s face, humming in agreement. He traced the man’s jaw and cheeks carefully. “I guess I wasn’t the only one.”

Rhett picked up Link and Link laughed, smile wide on his face and laugh echoing through the building. Thank god the crew was out today because Link couldn’t even think how embarrassed he would be if anyone heard him beg to Rhett.

 

 **Things you said when I wasn’t meant to hear**.

“Hi mom, happy birthday again! How are you?”

Link stopped from entering the room when he heard Rhett’s voice. Today was Rhett’s mom’s birthday and she deserved more than a simple text, so Rhett decided to call her and Link choose to give the man some space. It was late and the office was empty, Link was picking up some stuff in the set while waiting for Rhett so both of them can go home.

Well, technically it was Rhett’s apartment.

Link sat down on one of the chairs outside their office and rested his head on the wall, closing his eyes and hearing Rhett walking around. It was somehow soothing and relaxing.

“I saw Rachel the other day and she looked amazing. Yeah, we went out to get dinner and catch up, we had fun.” Rhett laughed. “Well, I’m not sure about that but I’d probably be seeing her again. ”

Link’s sleepiness quickly dissipated when he heard Rhett talking.

“Yes mom, I’ll tell him you said hello.” Silence. “I love you too. Okay, goodbye.”

Link was frozen in place and just blinked a few times, trying to understand what he had heard. Did Rhett went out in a date? Weren’t they something? They established they were in a relationship but never went farther than that and now, what if Rhett was having second thoughts?  

The door opened bedside him and when he looked up, Rhett was looking curiously at him. “Ready?” Rhett asked and Link just nodded. “Let me get my bag and we can go.” Rhett smiled and Link did the same in return but went away as soon Rhett gave him his back.

Link didn’t say anything and just pushed those words at the back of his head.

 

**Things you said with too many miles between us.**

“Do you think it’s worth it?”

Rhett blinked a few times, trying to process what he had heard. He had been talking with Link over Skype while doing some work in his computer. The younger had to flight to North Carolina because of a family event and well, they couldn’t let their business without care (and Link insisted that he was okay, that he should be back in less than a week.)

“What?” Rhett asked, changing his window to Skype, seeing a very pixilated Link on the screen. “Worth it?”

“Our relationship, do you think it’s worth it?” Link repeated, looking away from the screen. “You could be with someone better, you know that.” Rhett’s frown and his confused expression grew, and Link started to stutter. “You could break with me, I don’t care. It wouldn’t affect our professional relationship, I promise.”

“Link,” Rhett said, firmly and Link just stared at the screen in silence. “Where did you get that idea?”

“I heard you talking with your mother, that you went out with Rachel the other day and that she looked gorgeous and, well, we never said anything about what we are because we don’t like tags but it got me thinking that you could date whoever you want to and-”

“Link,” Rhett repeated the man’s name to make him shut him. “I love you, isn’t that enough?”

“What?” Link gasped and Rhett felt goosebumps because Link’s voice broke. “You love me?”

“Yeah, very much.” Rhett smiled widely when he saw Link biting his lips, trying to hold his smile from getting bigger. “Don’t get sentimental on me. You’ll be home soon.”

“Yeah, I can’t wait to go back.”

Rhett only hummed in agreement.

 

 

**Things you said with no space between us.**

Both of them had been lying in bed for a good while.

It was one of their free days and what better way to enjoy it than doing nothing with your loved one? Rhett was awake and beside him was Link, his eyes closed, relaxed under Rhett’s soft touches, his fingers dancing and tracing figures around the younger man’s naked back.

“Can I ask you something?” Link said and Rhett hummed in response. “Was I your first love?”

“Honestly?” Rhett asked and Link just nodded, not daring to open his eyes. “No but that doesn’t mean that you aren’t the most important and more amazing of all.”

“Well, isn’t that adorable.” Link commented and then laughed, when Rhett moved over and straddled Link’s lap, kissing his neck and jaw. Rhett’s beard felt funny against his naked skin but he couldn’t complain, it was probably the best thing in the whole universe.

He tried to push Rhett’s words into the back of his mind.

 

 

 **Things you said that made me feel like shit**.

Link had a craving for ice cream and he had been asking Rhett for the past hours when they were going to go and get it. Link had started saying it after they recorded Good Mythical Morning and it wasn’t even lunch time yet. Rhett had been muttering the same response over and over again every time Link asked the same question over and over.

“Are we going now?” Link asked, for the third time, since he was waiting for a file to upload into his mail. He looked at Rhett and smiled. Rhett didn’t even look away from his computer to answer Link.

“No, later,” he repeated and Link only nodded and hummed to himself, reading his own mail over an over. Link muttered something like _you said that hours ago_ and he jumped when he heard a thump on the desk and looked at Rhett standing up, a frustrated expression on his face.

“God, you’re really annoying,” he mumbled while passing a hand through his hair. “C’mon, we’re going.”

Link just looked at Rhett and felt guilty for bothering his best friend. He started to feel his chest tightening; he didn’t like seeing Rhett angry. “No, it’s alright, I can wait.”

“Are you serious?” Rhett looked at him, angrily, and sat down on his chair again, exhaling noisily and Link just sat there, not daring to look at the other man.

He didn’t ask about the ice cream anymore.

(Rhett’s words were cold enough.)

 

 

 **Things you said when you were crying**.

Rhett noticed that Link had been too quiet the whole reunion and that he had done most of the talking. Maybe the Crew didn’t notice or maybe if they did, they didn’t mention it. At this point, they had been sitting on their office in a tense silence for a while and Rhett was feeling uncomfortable.

“Are you okay, man?” Rhett asked, looking over at his best friend, who only hummed affirmatively no bothering to look at the other man. “Are you sure?” Link took his eyes away from the screen and placed his sight on Rhett’s.

“Yeah, everything’s _alright_.”

“You barely talked in the reunion and well, it’s strange. You usually talk way too much.” Rhett commented, trying to joke around, and the office door opened in the same instance that Link was getting up from his chair, hands on his desk and eyes fixed on Rhett.

“Well, I’m _really_ annoying, right? I didn’t want to bother you! that’s probably why I, I-”

Then, Link was crying.

“Uh,” Eddie was standing in the door, papers in his hands. Rhett got up from his chair while Link sat down back again, looking away at the wall, one his hand on his face trying to hide himself and the other just held his glasses. “I’ll leave.”

“Please,” Rhett nodded and Eddie closed the door behind him. “Link. Link, look at me.” With the gentle words, Rhett’s hands sneaked over the younger’s arm, caressing it softly. “Please?”

Link turned around and looked at him, trying to clean some tears away.

“Is this because of the other day?” Rhett asked, his hands on the man’s knees.  “Link.”

“Yeah,” he whimpered quietly. “I mean, I guess I am annoying, I talk _way_ too much and-”

“No, no, you’re not.” Rhett whispered, his hands taking Link’s. “I was just being an idiot, I’m sorry I called you annoying. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that, I’m so sorry.” Rhett started kissing the man’s knuckles, while he calmed down.

Rhett felt guilty for making his best friend, his lover felt that way.

“It’s okay. I guess I was being silly, too.”

“You weren’t,” Rhett reassured him, pulling him into a hug. “I love you, I’m sorry.”

Link hummed and his hands held onto Rhett’s shirt, in silence.

 

 

**Things you said at the kitchen table.**

Link let out a yawn and shifted on the bed. With his hand, he searched for Rhett’s warm body but he only found an empty, cold spot on the bed. He opened his eyes and noticed that Rhett wasn’t obviously there.

Then he heard some sounds coming from the kitchen.

He took his glasses and his phone, noticing it was early in the morning- way to early on a Saturday but he couldn’t complain. He didn’t like lying around in bed all day (unless it was with Rhett) because he felt as if he was wasting his time.

He pulled over his head Rhett’s hoodie and walked to the kitchen, finding the blond man sitting on one of the kitchen chairs, a stack of pancakes in one side while on his other side, he had his iPad. “That’s new,” Link commented, leaning on the door frame. Rhett smiled and shrugged, eyeing Link up and down, smiling even wider when he noticed that _that_ was his hoodie.

“I wanted to do something sweet for you.”

“What do you want from me?” Link asked, looking at Rhett curiously.

Rhett laughed. “Nothing, maybe show you how much I love you and that I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else but with you _.”_ Link’s smile faded away and just nodded, sitting in front of Rhett.

They just ate in silence.

 

 

**Things you said when you thought I was asleep.**

Link had his head resting on Rhett’s chest, hearing the soft thumping of his heart. Rhett’s fingers were playing mindlessly with the brunette’s hair, humming softly to himself. Link was so comfortable he didn’t dare to move and that was possibly why Rhett thought he was asleep.

He felt the other man’s hand stop.

 **“** I never meant it, that you were annoying I mean. I was just being an idiot **,** **”** he whispered and Link wasn’t sure if it was to himself or to Link or maybe to no one. A pair of warm lips pressed on his forehead and Link didn’t dare to move at all.

Rhett fell asleep soon enough but Link couldn’t.

 

 

**Things you said when we were the happiest we ever were.**

The past month had been the happiest of Rhett’s life.

Yet, in the past weeks, Rhett noticed that Link was getting distant.

He started thinking how Link started declining to go to his place for dinner, excusing himself that he was tired and that he needed actual sleep, but Rhett could still see the dark circles under his eyes. Also, when Rhett texted Link to wish him a “good morning” or a “good night” (even when it was too cheesy), Link never answered back as he did before.

Friday morning, he found Link lying on their office couch, looking at the ceiling, his glasses off.

“Link?” He called, looking at him, curiously. “Are you okay?”

“We should take a break from each other _,_ ” Link spat out.

Those words hit Rhett like a brick falling to his stomach and he felt physically sick.

“What?” Rhett asked, his brow furrowed. “Why?”

“Don’t ask why.” Link replied, still not looking at the other man. “Just, let’s take a break. Please.”

It was a strange kind of silence: it wasn’t tense or awkward; well, everything felt strange.

“Okay,” Rhett nodded and sat down at his desk, starting to drown himself into his work. He didn’t remember seeing Link sitting in front of him or even leaving the office. He didn’t notice that he had been sitting down on the same spot until Stevie came to tell him they were leaving to get lunch.

“Are you okay there?” She asked, looking concerned.

“I’m fine,” he replied after clearing his throat. Before she left, he asked her where Link was.

“Link? He left hours ago, saying he wasn’t feeling good.” She said, putting a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. “I thought he told you.” Rhett nodded and told her to forget what he had asked.

Rhett didn’t remember seeing him the rest of the weekend.

 

 

**Things you said after it was over.**

It seemed like their professional relationship didn’t change.

Monday morning came by and Link acted as if anything had happened. Rhett greeted him with a good morning and asked him if he was feeling better- Link just nodded and thank him for his concern. It was so formal that Rhett was starting to get sick of it.

Weeks passed and they started to come back to their older selves; at least Rhett saw Link smile and he thought of it as a life achievement. It seemed like Link had started to move on and Rhett thought he should do the same.

Before their small week vacation, Link noticed that Rhett was looking more at his phone and that he was apologizing himself for not putting it on silence.

One day, Rhett and Link were sitting on their meeting room, their computers on and they had been jumping ideas back and forth, yet it wasn’t like before, it wasn’t as creative or as fun. They were in silence when Rhett opened his mouth.

“I’m dating someone.”

The pencil that Link had been holding on his hand fell.

“Yeah?” Link asked and moved to take the pencil from the floor, ignoring Rhett. “Uh, that’s nice.”

“Yeah, it’s nice,” Rhett nodded and both of them just stared at each other. Link cleared his throat and continued talking about their next project.

Rhett didn’t bring it back up.

 

 

**Things you said when you were ~~scared~~ not okay.**

They had been relatively fine since that day.

They still had their moments of awkwardness but it seemed like everything was going back to normality. Link started to smile and to joke around as he usually did and Rhett was happy for him.

Well, it seemed like everything was fine until it wasn’t.

Rhett had been hanging out with the Crew in the kitchen, waiting for Link to show up so they could start the recording of Good Mythical Morning. Everyone heard the main door closing, steps coming up the stairs  and they all turned their heads to look at the only member that was missing.

Yet, they didn’t expect him to look this bad.

Link was pale and he had at least two sweaters on himself.

“What?” He asked when he noticed that everyone was looking at him.

“Are you okay, buddy?” Rhett asked and Link shrugged, answering that he could feel better but they needed to record, that he was going to be fine. He started walking towards his office and Becca looked at Rhett, pointing at Link, as if she was telling him to go behind him.

Link sat at his desk, took his laptop out of his bag and waited for it to start. He let his head rest on his hand when he felt as if he was falling, holding tightly the arm of his desk chair. When he saw Rhett entering the office and shutting the door behind him, Link tried his best to ignore him.

“Link,” he called him.

 _Ignore him, ignore him_.

He was way too tired and too worn out to deal with Rhett.

“I’m fine,” he announced.

Link felt himself starting to shake, his chest tightening and the nausea hit like waves, coming and going. Link tried to concentrate on his computer, trying to find his notes, but Rhett’s stare was intense.

“I’m worried-”

“Let’s go to the set.” Link got up but then realized that it wasn’t a good idea. He was sure that he was once standing straight but, why everything was starting to look crooked? Oh yeah, he was falling. “Oh no.”

Rhett observed how Link got up and then started to move side to side. When he noticed that Link was trying to hold on his desk but failed miserably- almost falling to the floor. Rhett crossed the office and took Link on his arms, feeling the man’s weight on him.

“Whoa, hey,” he said, feeling Link’s dig into his shirt, noticing his shaking. Rhett pulled him into his feet and slowly walked to the couch, sitting Link on it while Rhett kneeled in front of him.

Link took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to stay in reality. He felt the fabric of Rhett’s shirt under his fingers, holding it as if it was a lifeline; he felt Rhett’s hands on his face, taking his glasses out and caressing his jaw and neck carefully.

“Link,” Rhett called but this time lowering his voice, almost as a whisper.

Link’s only thought was _Rhett, Rhett, Rhett_ over and over again on his mind. He did his best to move and hug his best friend. He felt so embarrassed right now, hiding his face on Rhett’s neck. He closed his eyes and Rhett’s arms reassured him that everything was alright, ignoring the fact that he felt as if he was going to fall at any moment. He was safe.

Rhett’s arms felt so warm around him.

It took Link a few minutes to come back to himself, the nausea leaving him and his trembling had stopped. 

“I miss you,” Link mumbled and he wasn’t sure if Rhett had heard it and if he did, he decided to ignore it.

“Are you alright?” Rhett asked, looking at his friend, concern and worry written all over his face. Rhett’s hand moved away Link’s hair out of his face and Rhett smiled warmly when the other man nodded. “I think I’m going to tell the crew that we should record tomorrow, okay? Why don’t you take a nap? It would make you feel better.”

Rhett was about to stand up when Link’s hand held his wrist, almost painfully.

“Please don’t leave me.”

Rhett wasn’t sure if it was Link’s expression or his voice or just the gesture that made his heart break in millions of pieces. Rhett nodded and kneeled in front of Link again. Link nodded and lied on the couch, one of their cushions under his head and Rhett’s hands caressing softly his hair.

“I’ll always be right beside you, buddy.”

 

 

**Things you said when you were drunk.**

The Crew decided that they were going to take Link out, since it was his birthday. Rhett even called some of their friends to come and all of them hung around for a while, drinking and talking and laughing and enjoying themselves.

The thing was Link got a few drinks more than supposed to. He was a lightweight but Rhett thanked that he was the type of drunken person that you can barely perceive that’s drunk. Link was sitting between Joe Bereta and Eliott Morgan, talking between them.

It was already late and the local was closing down, so everyone started to leave to their homes.

“I’m taking Link home,” Rhett told Jen, while giving her the keys to the office. “I trust you with these.”

“Don’t worry, they’re in good hands,” she smiled and walked with the rest of the crew to the other side of the parking lot.

“Come on, buddy,” Rhett told Link, who was wobbling at his side. Rhett put an arm around his best friends shoulder, trying to steady him. Link was talking and Rhett only replied with laughs and yeahs. Entering the car wasn’t hard and soon enough, they were driving through the L.A streets.

Rhett felt Link’s eyes on him but didn’t say anything.

“You know,” Link started. “I was scared.”

Rhett glanced at him, his eyebrow raised. “Scared?”

“I still am,” he giggled, as if he was talking about something funny. “I’m scared of many, many things.”

“Like what?” Rhett asked, turning into a corner. He wasn’t actually paying attention to Link, he only wanted to leave his best friend, see that everything’s alright and go home.

“I love you,” and Link started laughing even louder. “I never said it because I was scared! I love you!”

Rhett didn’t say anything.

Link would forget it in the morning.

Yet, the words stayed on Rhett’s mind the whole night.

**Things you said I wish you hadn’t and** **things you didn’t say at all.**

They were discussing again.

It started with them talking about an idea for a new project but they both disagreed on the other’s idea. They weren’t sure how that had developed on just screaming at each other hurtful things (that it was probably they didn’t actually mean.)

“I don’t understand you! Aren’t you happy with the idea or what?! You’re the-”

“I am happy!” Rhett stopped Link midsentence. “Right now, I’m very happy!”

Link didn’t know if Rhett was referring to his idea or his life but, either way, he felt awful.

“Okay,” Link nodded and sat down on his computer, typing on his computer.

What Link didn’t know was that Rhett had broken up with his girlfriend a few weeks ago, well, she broke up with him saying “you’re looking at me as if I was someone else,” and yes, she was right and… Rhett didn’t have heart to say anything. He really didn’t really like her, he regretted not putting a foot down and not asking why Link broke his heart but probably, he regretted ignoring Link’s words over and over again.

Rhett didn’t say anything and the rest of the day was uncomfortable.

 

 

 **Things you said when I was crying**.

Link woke up at three am because of his phone ringing loudly.

Not even twenty minutes later, he was appearing in the hospital that Rhett was admitted in. He saw Nick standing on the other side of the waiting room and Link wasn’t sure if he had run or just walked.

“Nick?” Link called, his arms crossed, his hoodie too big for him. “What happened?”

“You should sit down,” he said, putting a hand on his friend’s shoulder. Link nodded and sat down next to the man. “We were hanging out and he started feeling bad. Uh, the doctors said it was his appendix.”

“And why you called me at this hour?”

“His appendix ruptured. He’s having a emergency surgery right now.”

“Oh.” That’s everything Link could say for the rest of the night. He stayed there, sitting down next to Nick in silence until, two hours and so later, they heard a doctor calling for _McLaughlin_. Nick got up to talk to the doctor but Link didn’t have either the courage or the heart to hear.

It was eight in the morning when Nick left because of Link’s insistence and he was texting the crew that neither of them could make it to work because of medical reasons (and probably they wouldn’t be there for the rest of the week). _I’ll explain later_ , he texted. Link was sitting beside Rhett’s bed and he wasn’t sure how much time he had been staring at the man’s face but he started to have kind of flashbacks.

Remembering how Rhett slept peacefully next to him those lazy days.

Both of them sleeping together.

On _their_ bed.

Rhett would wake up, murmur something and then go back to sleep but there was this time where he seemed lucid enough to talk and to recognize that Link was there, holding his hand. A nurse came in and left, a doctor came in and left but Link stayed there most of the time, right beside Rhett.

They talked softly, smiling to each other sometimes.

Rhett fell asleep and Link doze off a few minutes after him.

When Rhett woke up, Link wasn’t around and that, for some reason, it really hit him. Link entered the room silently but stopped a few feet away from Rhett’s bed, a frown and concern showing on his face. “Hey,” he whispered and sat down on the chair, holding once again Rhett’s hand. “What’s wrong? Something hurts?”

Rhett wasn’t sure why Link was worried out of sudden.

He felt something wet on his cheek.

He was crying.

“Rhett,” Link called. “Do you want me to call someone?”

“No,” he mumbled, his voice trembling. “No, I’m fine.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

It took Rhett a few moments before he answered.

“I miss you,” and Link’s expression changed. “I still love you and I miss you so much, Link.”

Link’s grasp on Rhett’s hand was stronger and the other man was nodding, biting his lip. “Please don’t cry, you look kind of ugly when you do,” he joked and Rhett laughed before stopping, muttering something about that _hurts when I laugh_.

They started at each other’s eyes for a while.

“I love you,” Link said, almost shyly. “I’m such a fool, an idiot, and I was so scared of saying those words. Every time you told me that you loved me, it felt amazing. I started convincing myself that you were too good for me and every time you said something about me, it would sneak under my skin. Also, you don’t deserve someone as broken as me-”

“Link, god,” the other man interrupted him, his hand wandering to Link’s wrist. “You’re everything to me. You know me so well and you can read me better than the palm of your hand. I love you for everything you are, okay? ”

“Okay,” Link smiled.

“Also, you aren’t broken. Don’t think so low of yourself, Link,” Rhett reassured him and Link’s hands wandered to the other man’s face, his thumb brushing away the tears that had been falling from his cheeks. Then, he got up and kissed Rhett sweetly.

“God, I missed you, I missed this,” he mumbled, between kisses. “I love you, I’m so sorry.”

This time, Rhett was still crying but he had a smile forming on his face.

 

 

 **Things you said over the phone**.

“You know what we should do?” Rhett asked.

This time around, Link was in California and Rhett was away to spend some time in North Carolina, with his family and old friends. Both of them were supposed to leave the same day but because something came up last minute, Link decided to delay his flight.

It’s been a few months since Rhett’s appendix incident and they had been more than good after that. Not a few weeks before, both men were looking for a small house to live in, as a couple. They came out to their Crew, explaining without unnecessary details what had happened between them and all of them congratulated them, smiles on their faces.

Link didn’t remember being _this_ happy, no bad thoughts coming into his mind.

“You know what we should do?” Rhett repeated over the phone and Link hummed. He was walking around the small kitchen of their office, early in the morning, getting himself a cup of coffee.

“What we should do, Rhett?” He asked back, smile on his face. He shifted the phone between his ear and his shoulder before picking up his cup of coffee and some notes he had on his hand.

“We should get married.”

Jen jumped from her seat when she heard something breaking, she looked at Alex behind her with wide eyes before walking fast to the kitchen. “Link?” She called, worry appearing in her voice. “Link, are you okay?” She asked with more urgency when the man didn’t answer.

What she found was quite strange.

Link was standing in the middle of the kitchen, the mug lying on its side next to Link’s feet and his phone lying on the counter, its screen black. She placed her hand on Link’s shoulder and asked what had happened.

“He proposed.” They heard Stevie’s gasp; Jen didn’t notice most of the crew standing behind her.

She waited for something else but nothing. “Did _you_ say no?”

“No, I ended the call,” and then he passed a hand through his hair when his phone started to ring again. “The idiot proposed over phone and I’m so upset because he’s not here, he’s a the other side of the States, who even does that? Proposing over the phone, god.”

Jen started giggling and Link looked at her weirdly.

“You’re getting married,” she announced. It took a moment for Link to start smiling and at some point he hid his face on his hands, laughing on them. “You might want to answer the call and tell him yes, you know.”

“No, no, I’m so upset right now,” Link replied while picking up the mug from the floor and cleaning the coffee from the floor with a towel. Everyone looked at each other because two reasons: it was a strange reaction yet there was nothing better than Link being Link once again.

It was Stevie who answered the call.

Rhett started babbling and apologizing and saying that he didn’t want to scare Link and if he was feeling uncomfortable that he should forget the idea and- “Rhett?” She interrupted him, smile on her face.

“Oh no, please, tell me that he’s fine,” the worry on Rhett’s voice was noticeable. “Stevie, please.”

“He’s fine. He’s upset at you because you proposed over phone.” There was a silence in the room and everyone could hear Rhett’s loud laugh. “You should wait to see him face to face to ask properly.”

“I will,” Rhett answered. “Thank you, Stevie.”

“No worries, boss.”

 

 

**Things you said under the stars in the grass. ~~~~**

If someone had told to young Rhett that he would be standing in the middle of the airport waiting for his best friend to come from California (where they had a _successful_ company together) so he could propose to him, young Rhett wouldn’t have believe any piece of it.

Yet, there he was.

It was almost midnight when Link’s plane landed and Rhett started to feel excited. When the other man appeared through the doors along with a few other people, the smile on his boyfriend’s face was enough to make jealous any star in the sky because, god, he was radiant.

They haven’t seen each other for two weeks but it felt as a life time.

Link wanted to run, jump on the man’s arms and smother him with kisses but, after all, they were in North Carolina and well, people aren’t as acceptant as Californians. Rhett ruffled the other man’s hair and his hand feel on Link’s shoulder, patting it softly.

Link couldn’t stop smiling all the way to the car.

Rhett drove through the road with his hand on Link’s thigh, talking softly.

He pulled over in the side of the road and Link looked at him curiously.

“This isn’t a scary movie, Rhett, what are you doing?” Link joked, tiredly.

“C’mon, get out.” Rhett turned the car off and the occasional light roads were the only thing that illuminated them. Link yawned while he got out of the car. Rhett closed the door and, after taking Link’s hand, he pulled the man to the land next to the road.

“What are you doing?” Link asked, his expression amused.

“Okay, now that we are face to face, I think this won’t upset you as before.”

Link almost gasped when Rhett, holding his hand still, drop in one knee.

“No, no, no,” Link muttered, looking away and not daring to look at Rhett. “God, don’t do this. You know what I’m going to say, please, don’t make me cry in the middle of nowhere.” Rhett laughed and after getting up, he looked at Link as if he was the most amazing thing in the whole world before kissing him, without thinking that anyone would see them and judge them.

“I’m supposing you’re going to say yes,” Rhett said, holding Link closer, his hands on the shorter man’s shoulders. Link smirked and started with a “ _well_ ”, making Rhett laugh.

“Your suppositions are correct, mister.”

“Good.”

“Good.”

They kissed under the stars and the moon, not caring about anything else.

 

 

**Things you said when we were on top of the world.**

“I’m very lucky, you know that?”

Rhett hummed when he heard his best friend talking from the other side of the room, taking out his pants. Both were in some hotel in Orlando for Playlist Live once again and it’s been a while since Rhett had settled in their bed.

He yawned before looking at his boyfriend bare back, while he was changing shirts. “Why does that come up again, Link?” He asked, still lying on bed.

“I mean,” Link walked to the other side of the bed, going under the covers and leaving his glasses on the bedside table. He lied so he could see Rhett’s face, the small light on the wall illuminating his husband’s face. “I’m very lucky to have you, I already know that but, you’re just very awesome. You were always there and even when I was an idiot, you gave me a second opportunity and a new last name.”

“I did indeed, Mr. Neal-McLaughlin,” Rhett mumbled and Link smiled. “You aren’t an idiot, stop saying that.” Rhett caressed Link’s hair comfortingly, his wedding ring noticeable under the faint light.

“I love you,” Link kissed him and turned to turn off the light. In the darkness, he cuddled closer to Rhett and mumbled a soft “I’m sorry” that Rhett shushed.

“I’m very lucky too.” Rhett caressed Link’s hair comfortingly. “Now, go to sleep, Link.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> **talk me @[my tumblr!](http://mythical-soul.tumblr.com/)**


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